"Meet the crazy red haired Irish man"
Lt. Cmdr. Michael O'Leary
Michael sat in ten forward alone as usual sipping his irish whisky and looking out at the streaks of light as the ship made its way at high warp to..... well wherever they were going.
He looked down at the PADD's that were lying accross his small corner table and shook his head.
never anything working at 100% and if it does its at the expense of something else..... , he thought.
He decided to pack the padds up for the night and sit listening to some classical music through his aural (ear) implant he had been given as a child. It came in handy for things like that but it had its downfalls. either it was on meaing he was listening with annoying acuity to everthing around him. Tuned into a number of low power subspace radio frequencies he had set up in his quarters to play certain music. or it was off.
The latter two meant he heard nothing at all so it was rare he did either of them. On this particular day though it didnt matter... he had just finshed "breaking in" a new assistant chief engineer and they had pulled the duty for the next three days. not that it was goign to be easy . in three days time he had his command level test, a test often reffered to as the kobayashi maru test allthough the name of the ship often changed.. None of the command officers would tell him what the test contained but that he should be prepared. iff he could...
After two hours of listening to music and almost fallign asleep he switched his implant to normal and made his way, drearaly, back to his quarters to sleep. His quarters, by his request, were situated on the engineering deck.
There was no window but the room was large and incorparated a lab and a large viewscreen that could double as a fake window.. The door slid open and the dim light greeted him. he stumbled past the clear glass desk and his work throug to his bed ( after tripping on several padd's on the way)
The walls were coated with a special soundproof layer. this was after two sleeples nights when he heard everything from the warp core to several, what he would only refer to as , amorous encounters. The result was unless it came thorugh the intercom you couldnt hear sound that did not origionate in the room.
"Computer. set alarm for zero five hundred ship time.::pause:: and have the replicator make a pot of black coffee, hot, terran columbian blend, at the same time"
The generic female voice replied "affirmative"
Before the last sylable was formed michael was fast asleep and snoring loudly!
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Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 9 2003, 03:07 PM
NOT-a-dragon
Commander Khetrha
She had not slept at all that day. The sound of the desert silence had continually roared in her ears, whispering, shouting the fear that ran through her mind like a wildfire through dry, crackling brush on a plain of drought. The flames consumed her, writhing like living beings, forcing all possibilities through her mind...even the ones she dared not hope for and the ones she feared would come true. She could almost hear the sand outside, crackling in the heat of the day...
...the day...
It didn't seem like daytime. Yes, all the rooms in the lab were shut off from all possible sources of light; yet, somehow it seemed darker than usual...
Khetrha slowly rose to her feet. She, like all the others, had slept on the floors of one of the many underground labs. It was the safest place they could think of...and the nearest to the ship should anyone attack them...
...attack...
Her heart quickened. She ambled over to a small, cramped stairwell and quietly made her way to the top so as not to disturb the slumbering families scattered about. She carefully pried back a small section of material barring the windows and blinked at the bright daylight.
It was cloudy.
She shied away from the window and hissed uneasily. It's never cloudy in the desert...
A dark foreboding rippled through her spine. She gathered her nerve and looked out the window again...and gasped.
They were here!!
As quickly as she could, Khetrha ran to the opposite wall where a thin rope was tied and ran the length of the corridor. She grasped it in one hand while shearing it in two with the claws on the other. Back to the window she leapt as the sounds of falling bells reached her ears - the warning toll. Everyone would be awake in seconds. She whipped back toward the window, ripping down the covering, and was about to start barking out orders when the sight before her made the words die on her tongue...
Air machines were flying overhead, bringing loud explosions and death in their wake.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen! she thought.
It was then that she realized the families around her were not sleeping - they were dead. Every one of them.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen!!
Khetrha screamed in pain and fear and anger and hopelessness, turning back to the window in time to see the air machines and hear the last few seconds of whistling...
The scream died in the soft hum of a peaceful engine.
Khetrha was on the floor; not of the lab, but of her quarters. The stars streaked by outside the window, winking at her in their own pinpricks of brilliance. Unable to collect her thoughts, she mustered a faint groan before burying her face in her hands ....
NOT-a-dragon
Commander Khetrha
She had not slept at all that day. The sound of the desert silence had continually roared in her ears, whispering, shouting the fear that ran through her mind like a wildfire through dry, crackling brush on a plain of drought. The flames consumed her, writhing like living beings, forcing all possibilities through her mind...even the ones she dared not hope for and the ones she feared would come true. She could almost hear the sand outside, crackling in the heat of the day...
...the day...
It didn't seem like daytime. Yes, all the rooms in the lab were shut off from all possible sources of light; yet, somehow it seemed darker than usual...
Khetrha slowly rose to her feet. She, like all the others, had slept on the floors of one of the many underground labs. It was the safest place they could think of...and the nearest to the ship should anyone attack them...
...attack...
Her heart quickened. She ambled over to a small, cramped stairwell and quietly made her way to the top so as not to disturb the slumbering families scattered about. She carefully pried back a small section of material barring the windows and blinked at the bright daylight.
It was cloudy.
She shied away from the window and hissed uneasily. It's never cloudy in the desert...
A dark foreboding rippled through her spine. She gathered her nerve and looked out the window again...and gasped.
They were here!!
As quickly as she could, Khetrha ran to the opposite wall where a thin rope was tied and ran the length of the corridor. She grasped it in one hand while shearing it in two with the claws on the other. Back to the window she leapt as the sounds of falling bells reached her ears - the warning toll. Everyone would be awake in seconds. She whipped back toward the window, ripping down the covering, and was about to start barking out orders when the sight before her made the words die on her tongue...
Air machines were flying overhead, bringing loud explosions and death in their wake.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen! she thought.
It was then that she realized the families around her were not sleeping - they were dead. Every one of them.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen!!
Khetrha screamed in pain and fear and anger and hopelessness, turning back to the window in time to see the air machines and hear the last few seconds of whistling...
The scream died in the soft hum of a peaceful engine.
Khetrha was on the floor; not of the lab, but of her quarters. The stars streaked by outside the window, winking at her in their own pinpricks of brilliance. Unable to collect her thoughts, she mustered a faint groan before burying her face in her hands ....
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Introduction To Cat Tricks 101
Sabaqwa Isth
The crew quarters doors swooshed open. The semi melodic triple toned sound was mildly amusing to Sabaqwa, so he gleefuly watched them open and close several more times as he stepped foreward and backwards.
He mused whether this could be considered excercise or dancing... depending upon which kind of crewmember happened to walk by and question him. 'Sab' also wondered if the ship's AI was getting irritated at the scenario, and repeated it several more times just to see if the computer could have the collective to a 'rise' as the humans called it, to his pranks.
He stopped momentarilly mired in a puzzlement, eyes wide with consideration; he wasn't even certain whether the great ship actually had an AI sytem or not. No matter, this was too darned fun at the moment!
So he shrugged and continued forewards-backwards, forewards-backwards, making it almost look like a move the ancient dancer Fred Astair might use to molest a computer's fine sensibilities with.
At just the moment he swept backwards, this time embellishing the move with a hand held high above his head and twirling around in a graceful pirouette, he smacked right into his neighbor across the corridor from him who was exiting her quarters, or trying to.
The woman seemed none too amused at this very second. Amazing how a second turns into an eternity when facing down a slightly irritated Apache.
Her eyes narrowed in what Sab could only interpret as a very dangerous moment about to unfold. He blinked, helplessly frozen infront of her. He tried to lighten the moment, or at least smooth some balm over it by purring as Quadarites often do.
But when he got one good lungful of her terran perfume, an unfamiliar herb-scented fragrance to him, his nose went wild and the sneeze was out of him and all over this Apache woman's front before he could stop it. The purr had obviously took an unfortunate and graceless wreck.
He looked down at her uniform... 'aaaah crap! she's Medical, I'm, potted now!' he thought to himself.
"And you would be...?" She asked after the longest eternity of staring into his eyes, her hands smoothing off the spittle and other debris from his sneeze from her formerly pristine uniform. The action seemed absurdly disembodied from the stare she held him with. He tried to gulp and almost choked.
"Oh crap! N-not again! A-aaa-AAA-AACHOOO!!" He blinked, eyes watering profusely, as well as his swelling nose this time. "Oh Great Maker! I am so sorry!"
Her hands stopped all movement in mid-swipe as she lowered her eyes to look down at herself, her head only slightly lowering. Sab gulped audibly. That alone sounded like a chugged-up bilge pump as his nostrils and sinuses had become jammed shut and to overflowing. Whatever perfume she was wearing was definately not good for his present interpersonal skills.
He began sputtering and stammering trying to apologise, but the horrible sneeze-hell was about to break loose again whether he alot wanted it to or not. And he definately did not want it to!
Without speaking, Kiya reached into her labcoat pocket and produced an instrument Sab was certain would end his comedic and bartending career real soon. So he tried shaking his head in the negative and backing up at the same time which, in this case, was a mistake. Equilibrium is a tricky thing you see, especially if you are having a severe allergic reaction.
Kiya tried to apply the hypo she knew would stop his histamine reactions cold in thier sloppy little tracks. Sab tried backing up faster from the gadget he knew held certain death.
Simply put, he fell backwards on his rump, cracked the fourth vertebra of his nubby flat little tail, eyes popped in intense pain, he hiccuped, and created a choking/sneezing/freak-sideshow/ fit ending with very unintentional gaseous gastrointestinal expulsion. As if any of the above was intentional whatsoever!
By now he was sobbing, and not all of it was histamine reactions. And exactly half his hiccups her from sobbing, which helping his worsening condition none at all.
Kiya just stood there stunned, not willing to move just yet. It was at this moment that the ship had it's revenge on his former door games. His crew quarters doors tried to slam shut on him, but there is an obstruction. And that would be the hideously embarrased form of Sabaqwa Isth laying prostrate on the floor.
"Oh, Good God, whoever you are, just go away! Let me die in peace or something. Or stab me with that thing you have and be done with me. Either way... haaaa-aaaaaa-AAA-choOOOOO!!!! Either way, death is preferable!"
Kiya simply crouched down on her haunches and studied him for a moment before hypoing his leg with the antihistamine complex she still held in her hand. She shook her head trying not to smirk too largly.
"You have a broken tail, I heard it pop when you fell. Please report to Sickbay, I'll make sure Nan gets it back in place. And I certainly hope that is the only joint you have out of place, because I was on my way to Dot's for a drink. Goodness knows I need one now."
She looked at her clothes again as she rose to her feet, "I also need a change it seems. Meet me there after she's got you patched and I'll buy you a drink, ok?"
"Oh nooooo..." Sab groaned in another fit of hiccups, making him sound like he was riding a jackhammer. "I work there!"
"Good!" Kiya grinned feraly, knowing full well who he was, "YOU can buy me the drink then!" And she turned away and went into her quarters to change.
Sab just layed there letting the door pummel him in the ribs. Open-shut, open-shut, open-shut, right in his middle. It was as if the ship was saying 'neener-neener, nah naaah!' He just groaned between hiccups.
"Relaxing"
Rakurai Stryker - Holodeck 4 Baya Malay on a foggy morning.
A single Edenian mediated on mountain. Half naked from the waist up, Rakurai sat alone, his eyes closed. Diverse battle scars mar his scaly, emerald green body. A pair of tarnished lockets, t'santari, were strung around his neck.
Far in the distance, was a trifecta city structure. A moving roadway connected a spaceport to two cities. The holoprogram recreated Scion, his hometown Camineet, its twin city, Parolit and Eppi Forest. He opened his eyes, picked up an African penny whistle and started playing it. It took him about two minutes to remember how to play the instrument again.
He was enjoying a slight breeze when he heard a beep. Since he was not wearing his combadge, the computer directed the comminication directly to the holodeck. "Stryker here. Go ahead."
"Are you hungry ?" said a female voice.
"Yes." he answered.
"Care to join me in Dot's Diner ?"
"I will be there in about five minutes."
Dot's Diner
The captain of the starship Pretoria certainly was different from other captains. Gruff and aggressive, he certainly creates a harsh commanding presence on his crew. His crew however noticed a completely different man when he is accompanied by her.
He drops all of his walls, this façade, all of his masks, and all of his defenses when he is around his wife, Alice. She was the only person in the galaxy who knew Rakurai, the real Rakurai, the hidden Rakurai, more intimately than anyone else ever had.
"And of all the nerve," she said angily. "... she says I am slowly becoming unglued."
He had that far away stare in his eyes again. Useful for tuning out boring conversations. The red haired woman punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Weren't you listening to anything I just said?" Alice chided him.
"Yes I did." Stryker answered, rubbing his pretend sore shoulder. "No, you are not crazy. And yes, I will order Councilor Isis to leave you alone."
"She's so bloody damn annoying and persistant. Why did to choose her in anyways ?"
"Because she is so bloody damn annoying and persistant. She gets the job done." he replied.
"What's this ?" Alice inquired, touching a bruise on his forearm.
He grimaced slightly, "I hurt myself on the holodeck this morning."
"You should have that looked at."
"What ? Me walk into sickbay ? I don't think so."
Alice chuckled. "Are you developing a sense of humour ?"
"On this ship, my dear, stranger things has happened."
"I seriously doubt that." Alice chuckled as Kiya Black Wolf walked by.
Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 11 2003, 01:47 PM
"Mischievous"
Ensign Fox Xanatos
The ship's new resident Chief Science officer just returned from a nightside shift. He was 5'5 and barely 23 years old.
Fox is a man of mixed heritage. His mother is a member of the Aishihik First Nations, Yukon, Canada, while his father, a former surfing champion from Hannatown, Jamaica.
He entered the quarters which he shared with the new bridge security officer, Ensign Alva. Fox smiled when he saw the young Betazoid woman lying on the couch, fast asleep. He walked to the replicator and selected mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey. He heard her mumbling something in her sleep.
Fox couldn't help but chuckle and put a dap of potatoes on her nose... wondering if that would wake her up. Suddenly Alva sat up and sneezed, mashed potatoes flying everywhere. "Wh.. what's going on?" she muttered sleepily. Fox put the dishes on the small living room table before falling to the floor laughing, unable to speak.
"What is so funny, Xanatos?" she sounded very angry. Her eyes spotted with foreign on her nose. She wiped it off and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him to his feet and into the air.
"My, my. Aren't we a little cranky this morning ?" he chuckled.
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Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 12 2003, 09:06 PM
"Furious"
Ensign Alva Evieet Lalissa Rei
"Believe me I'm far from cranky." she screeched. "WHY DON'T YOU TRY PICKING UP YOUR STUFF INSTEAD OF BUGGING ME !"
"YOU ARE PSYCHO, LADY." Fox retaliated. She let him and he stormed out of their quarters.
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Posted: Jun 14 2003, 11:53 AM
"The time is zero five hundred hours.."
Michael O'Leary turned over and groaned.... as his eyes came into focus the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit his nostrils and he forced himself to sit up. as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed his coffee he went through his mental checklist for the day. Usually this consisted of the usual maintenance crew rotation for engineering and how the hell he was going to stop his hair from sticking up like a mad scientist!.
Today was different. Today there was only one item on his list. at zero seven thirty hours he was to be in holodeck one to take a scenario test. He'd never heard of it before but when he told the captain and XO that Starfleet command had send him a communique requiring him to take the test and he told them the name of it. The look in their eyes and the small smirk accross both their faces told him all he needed to know, This was going to be interesting of nothing else.
He arrived at the door to holodeck one where he was met by Captain Stryker.
"You ready Commander?"
"I cant be ready for a simulation i know nothing about but ill do my best."
The captain smiled and handed him a PADD.
"Enter the holodeck and read the padd. When your ready just tell the computer to begin simulation. And good luck.!"
Michael entered the holodeck which was at present in its normal state.
He activated the Padd and read
TO : Lieutenant Commander Michael O'Leary, CE USS Pretoria From : Admiral Nakamura, Commander Starfleet command
Lt. Cmdr O'Leary.
In this command level scenario you will be commanding the USS Baton Rouge. She is an advanced intrepid class ship. Its current assignment is patrol along the badlands near the Bajor wormhole.
That was all that the padd displayed. As he turned it off and activated the holodeck program the bridge of an intepid class ship replaced the yellow grid. The simulation was paused however. there was no sound no movement. Michael wandered over to the captains chair and sat down. Comfortable!, he thought as he sat down the computer unpaused the scenario and the bridge suddenly sprang to life.
"Helm current course?"
The young female ensign who couldn't be older than 19 replied, "Sir, we are currently heading out of the badlands at maximum impulse. ETA to the edge 15 minutes 30 seconds."
"Very good Ensign. Once we clear the badlands set a course for DS9 warp 3"
"Aye captain"
He tapped the communicator on his bridge seat. The almost inaudible sound of an open channel greeted him. "Engineering. Report."
"Engineering here sir. The warp core is fluctuating a bit but that expected with the plasma storms in this area. Id like prefer to try and run with the shields up to try and stop it but its not a real problem."
"Try putting up a level 6 containment field around the magnetic constrictors and reducing the power output of the core by 25 percent... that should keep it stable."
"Aye captain, I'll give it a go."
Just as he was trying to think of other things that could stabilize the power systems his tactical officer, a young half klingon said.
"Sir, I am reading a massive disturbance two million kilometers ahead."
"Is it a plasma storm?"
"negative sir. but i cant scan too far ahead. The disturbance has knocked out long range sensors."
"Helm set intercept course and slow to one half impulse."
A tingling went all the way down the back of Michael's spine. Something wasn't right.
"Tactical yellow alert shields up."
"Shields up captain but the interference is reducing their effectiveness to 37 percent."
"helm time to intercept"
"we should have visual in 20 seconds sir"
The seconds past by like hours. and as they approached the disturbance time seemed to slow down to a crawl. The ambient orange plasma of the badlands gave way to a dark grey sphere of a borg probe ship.
It seemed like slow motion as Michael hit the red alert button on his armrest.
"Helm reverses your course. Get us out of the badlands best possible speed. Comms send a message as soon as we can to DS9. Tell that that the Baton rouge has encountered a borg sphere in the badlands..."
Before he could finish the klingon yelled out.
"INCOMING"
"Helm evasive pattern omega 3"
The ship lurched as the inertial dampeners tried to keep up with the violent swerving motion. The green ball of Borg disruptor fire skipped on the shields causing minimum damage but the evasive maneuvers sent them straight into a plasma storm.
The Borg sphere was right behind them attempting to lock onto them with its tractor beam. Only the skill of his helm officer kept them out of trouble.
Plasma streaked by them on either side as they swerved around the storms.
"Tactical. Arm quantum torpedoes... FIRE"
The blue balls of death streaked towards the sphere impacting one after another almost completely obliterating it.
Michael was about to breath a sigh of relief when they nearly collided with two Borg cubes coming directly at them. HE didn't even have time to order the evasive pattern needed to dive underneath them. He just hung on to his chair.
This time they weren't so lucky a blast of disruptor fire impacted them square on the dorsal shielding. Completely bring the array out but being foiled by the ablative armor. The impact however sent them spiraling towards a nearby plasma string. At the last minute the ship swing around and continued on a straight course.
"Engineering I want all power to the shields. Pull it for weapons and life support if you have too but keep full power to the mauvering systems "
"captain??"
"Just do it!!"
"Aye sir"
The tactical officer was about to object at having all weapon systems powered down but he spoke up first.
"Look we cant out gun two fully armed Borg cubes but we can out maneuver them. If we can get the m to follow us which by the sound of the near misses I assume they are already doing them we should might be able to get then to run into the plasma streamers in that storm up ahead. Either way we need to get the message out that he Borg are in the area."
He looked at the young helm officer again. Her complexion had gone to a ghost white. She was scared. They all were.
"Helm... ensign McKnight. I know you can do this... just keep us out of the plasma streameres and on a general heading out of the badlands... push the engines if you have to."
The ensign resumed her tapings at the console and some color seemed to return to her face.
"Im not going to lie to you all. The chances of us making it away form two Borg cubes is slim but we need to get that message to Starfleet. Comms prepare all the probes we have and fill them with our position and situation. I want them fired off in random directions away form the Borg and the plasma streams."
"Aye sir."
The lights began to fluctuate as the shields drew more power.
"Time to badlands boundary?"
"30 seconds sir."
"Change heading to 345 mark 25."
"that will take us directly into a storm sir."
"DO it. At the last minute resume previous heading"
The helm ensign just nodded. She realized he was trying to lure them into the stream. But would it work for both cubes?
As they grew closer and closer to the stream the both bog ships converged on their position.
"NOW HELM"
The ship lurched up and to the right. The two gorg ships collided and spun straight into the stream. Wounding them to a point where 5 seconds later they exploded of their own accord.
The ship sped out of the badlands and the probes followed on a course for DS9 Before they could engage4 warp engines however 6 transwarp conduits opened up infront of them the probs passed but the ship was surrounded as 6 Borg cubes exited.
"Tactical analysis?"
"Sir. Those cubes are class 1 Borg tactical cubes"
Before Michael to utter a reply the familiar hail was broadcast
"WE ARE THE BORG LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND SURRENDER YOURSELVES YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"
Michael looked around him. The average age was only 24 and that was including him. He made a decision there and then. He wasn't going to let his crew be assimilated. His mission was done, Starfleet had been alerted. His only obligation now was to his crew. And he was dammed if he was going to let them be altered and assimilated..
"Computer. Activate auto destruct sequence. Authorization O'Leary Alpha one. 15 second countdown"
As the computer began to countdown he opened the ship-wide comm. and stood up.
"It's been a pleasure serving with you all!"
As the computer approached zero he saluted to his crew and ship and was moved to see the rest of the bridge crew doing the same...
"Three... two... one... "
Lt. Cmdr. Michael O'Leary
Michael sat in ten forward alone as usual sipping his irish whisky and looking out at the streaks of light as the ship made its way at high warp to..... well wherever they were going.
He looked down at the PADD's that were lying accross his small corner table and shook his head.
never anything working at 100% and if it does its at the expense of something else..... , he thought.
He decided to pack the padds up for the night and sit listening to some classical music through his aural (ear) implant he had been given as a child. It came in handy for things like that but it had its downfalls. either it was on meaing he was listening with annoying acuity to everthing around him. Tuned into a number of low power subspace radio frequencies he had set up in his quarters to play certain music. or it was off.
The latter two meant he heard nothing at all so it was rare he did either of them. On this particular day though it didnt matter... he had just finshed "breaking in" a new assistant chief engineer and they had pulled the duty for the next three days. not that it was goign to be easy . in three days time he had his command level test, a test often reffered to as the kobayashi maru test allthough the name of the ship often changed.. None of the command officers would tell him what the test contained but that he should be prepared. iff he could...
After two hours of listening to music and almost fallign asleep he switched his implant to normal and made his way, drearaly, back to his quarters to sleep. His quarters, by his request, were situated on the engineering deck.
There was no window but the room was large and incorparated a lab and a large viewscreen that could double as a fake window.. The door slid open and the dim light greeted him. he stumbled past the clear glass desk and his work throug to his bed ( after tripping on several padd's on the way)
The walls were coated with a special soundproof layer. this was after two sleeples nights when he heard everything from the warp core to several, what he would only refer to as , amorous encounters. The result was unless it came thorugh the intercom you couldnt hear sound that did not origionate in the room.
"Computer. set alarm for zero five hundred ship time.::pause:: and have the replicator make a pot of black coffee, hot, terran columbian blend, at the same time"
The generic female voice replied "affirmative"
Before the last sylable was formed michael was fast asleep and snoring loudly!
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Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 9 2003, 03:07 PM
NOT-a-dragon
Commander Khetrha
She had not slept at all that day. The sound of the desert silence had continually roared in her ears, whispering, shouting the fear that ran through her mind like a wildfire through dry, crackling brush on a plain of drought. The flames consumed her, writhing like living beings, forcing all possibilities through her mind...even the ones she dared not hope for and the ones she feared would come true. She could almost hear the sand outside, crackling in the heat of the day...
...the day...
It didn't seem like daytime. Yes, all the rooms in the lab were shut off from all possible sources of light; yet, somehow it seemed darker than usual...
Khetrha slowly rose to her feet. She, like all the others, had slept on the floors of one of the many underground labs. It was the safest place they could think of...and the nearest to the ship should anyone attack them...
...attack...
Her heart quickened. She ambled over to a small, cramped stairwell and quietly made her way to the top so as not to disturb the slumbering families scattered about. She carefully pried back a small section of material barring the windows and blinked at the bright daylight.
It was cloudy.
She shied away from the window and hissed uneasily. It's never cloudy in the desert...
A dark foreboding rippled through her spine. She gathered her nerve and looked out the window again...and gasped.
They were here!!
As quickly as she could, Khetrha ran to the opposite wall where a thin rope was tied and ran the length of the corridor. She grasped it in one hand while shearing it in two with the claws on the other. Back to the window she leapt as the sounds of falling bells reached her ears - the warning toll. Everyone would be awake in seconds. She whipped back toward the window, ripping down the covering, and was about to start barking out orders when the sight before her made the words die on her tongue...
Air machines were flying overhead, bringing loud explosions and death in their wake.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen! she thought.
It was then that she realized the families around her were not sleeping - they were dead. Every one of them.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen!!
Khetrha screamed in pain and fear and anger and hopelessness, turning back to the window in time to see the air machines and hear the last few seconds of whistling...
The scream died in the soft hum of a peaceful engine.
Khetrha was on the floor; not of the lab, but of her quarters. The stars streaked by outside the window, winking at her in their own pinpricks of brilliance. Unable to collect her thoughts, she mustered a faint groan before burying her face in her hands ....
NOT-a-dragon
Commander Khetrha
She had not slept at all that day. The sound of the desert silence had continually roared in her ears, whispering, shouting the fear that ran through her mind like a wildfire through dry, crackling brush on a plain of drought. The flames consumed her, writhing like living beings, forcing all possibilities through her mind...even the ones she dared not hope for and the ones she feared would come true. She could almost hear the sand outside, crackling in the heat of the day...
...the day...
It didn't seem like daytime. Yes, all the rooms in the lab were shut off from all possible sources of light; yet, somehow it seemed darker than usual...
Khetrha slowly rose to her feet. She, like all the others, had slept on the floors of one of the many underground labs. It was the safest place they could think of...and the nearest to the ship should anyone attack them...
...attack...
Her heart quickened. She ambled over to a small, cramped stairwell and quietly made her way to the top so as not to disturb the slumbering families scattered about. She carefully pried back a small section of material barring the windows and blinked at the bright daylight.
It was cloudy.
She shied away from the window and hissed uneasily. It's never cloudy in the desert...
A dark foreboding rippled through her spine. She gathered her nerve and looked out the window again...and gasped.
They were here!!
As quickly as she could, Khetrha ran to the opposite wall where a thin rope was tied and ran the length of the corridor. She grasped it in one hand while shearing it in two with the claws on the other. Back to the window she leapt as the sounds of falling bells reached her ears - the warning toll. Everyone would be awake in seconds. She whipped back toward the window, ripping down the covering, and was about to start barking out orders when the sight before her made the words die on her tongue...
Air machines were flying overhead, bringing loud explosions and death in their wake.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen! she thought.
It was then that she realized the families around her were not sleeping - they were dead. Every one of them.
This isn't how it's supposed to happen!!
Khetrha screamed in pain and fear and anger and hopelessness, turning back to the window in time to see the air machines and hear the last few seconds of whistling...
The scream died in the soft hum of a peaceful engine.
Khetrha was on the floor; not of the lab, but of her quarters. The stars streaked by outside the window, winking at her in their own pinpricks of brilliance. Unable to collect her thoughts, she mustered a faint groan before burying her face in her hands ....
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Introduction To Cat Tricks 101
Sabaqwa Isth
The crew quarters doors swooshed open. The semi melodic triple toned sound was mildly amusing to Sabaqwa, so he gleefuly watched them open and close several more times as he stepped foreward and backwards.
He mused whether this could be considered excercise or dancing... depending upon which kind of crewmember happened to walk by and question him. 'Sab' also wondered if the ship's AI was getting irritated at the scenario, and repeated it several more times just to see if the computer could have the collective to a 'rise' as the humans called it, to his pranks.
He stopped momentarilly mired in a puzzlement, eyes wide with consideration; he wasn't even certain whether the great ship actually had an AI sytem or not. No matter, this was too darned fun at the moment!
So he shrugged and continued forewards-backwards, forewards-backwards, making it almost look like a move the ancient dancer Fred Astair might use to molest a computer's fine sensibilities with.
At just the moment he swept backwards, this time embellishing the move with a hand held high above his head and twirling around in a graceful pirouette, he smacked right into his neighbor across the corridor from him who was exiting her quarters, or trying to.
The woman seemed none too amused at this very second. Amazing how a second turns into an eternity when facing down a slightly irritated Apache.
Her eyes narrowed in what Sab could only interpret as a very dangerous moment about to unfold. He blinked, helplessly frozen infront of her. He tried to lighten the moment, or at least smooth some balm over it by purring as Quadarites often do.
But when he got one good lungful of her terran perfume, an unfamiliar herb-scented fragrance to him, his nose went wild and the sneeze was out of him and all over this Apache woman's front before he could stop it. The purr had obviously took an unfortunate and graceless wreck.
He looked down at her uniform... 'aaaah crap! she's Medical, I'm, potted now!' he thought to himself.
"And you would be...?" She asked after the longest eternity of staring into his eyes, her hands smoothing off the spittle and other debris from his sneeze from her formerly pristine uniform. The action seemed absurdly disembodied from the stare she held him with. He tried to gulp and almost choked.
"Oh crap! N-not again! A-aaa-AAA-AACHOOO!!" He blinked, eyes watering profusely, as well as his swelling nose this time. "Oh Great Maker! I am so sorry!"
Her hands stopped all movement in mid-swipe as she lowered her eyes to look down at herself, her head only slightly lowering. Sab gulped audibly. That alone sounded like a chugged-up bilge pump as his nostrils and sinuses had become jammed shut and to overflowing. Whatever perfume she was wearing was definately not good for his present interpersonal skills.
He began sputtering and stammering trying to apologise, but the horrible sneeze-hell was about to break loose again whether he alot wanted it to or not. And he definately did not want it to!
Without speaking, Kiya reached into her labcoat pocket and produced an instrument Sab was certain would end his comedic and bartending career real soon. So he tried shaking his head in the negative and backing up at the same time which, in this case, was a mistake. Equilibrium is a tricky thing you see, especially if you are having a severe allergic reaction.
Kiya tried to apply the hypo she knew would stop his histamine reactions cold in thier sloppy little tracks. Sab tried backing up faster from the gadget he knew held certain death.
Simply put, he fell backwards on his rump, cracked the fourth vertebra of his nubby flat little tail, eyes popped in intense pain, he hiccuped, and created a choking/sneezing/freak-sideshow/ fit ending with very unintentional gaseous gastrointestinal expulsion. As if any of the above was intentional whatsoever!
By now he was sobbing, and not all of it was histamine reactions. And exactly half his hiccups her from sobbing, which helping his worsening condition none at all.
Kiya just stood there stunned, not willing to move just yet. It was at this moment that the ship had it's revenge on his former door games. His crew quarters doors tried to slam shut on him, but there is an obstruction. And that would be the hideously embarrased form of Sabaqwa Isth laying prostrate on the floor.
"Oh, Good God, whoever you are, just go away! Let me die in peace or something. Or stab me with that thing you have and be done with me. Either way... haaaa-aaaaaa-AAA-choOOOOO!!!! Either way, death is preferable!"
Kiya simply crouched down on her haunches and studied him for a moment before hypoing his leg with the antihistamine complex she still held in her hand. She shook her head trying not to smirk too largly.
"You have a broken tail, I heard it pop when you fell. Please report to Sickbay, I'll make sure Nan gets it back in place. And I certainly hope that is the only joint you have out of place, because I was on my way to Dot's for a drink. Goodness knows I need one now."
She looked at her clothes again as she rose to her feet, "I also need a change it seems. Meet me there after she's got you patched and I'll buy you a drink, ok?"
"Oh nooooo..." Sab groaned in another fit of hiccups, making him sound like he was riding a jackhammer. "I work there!"
"Good!" Kiya grinned feraly, knowing full well who he was, "YOU can buy me the drink then!" And she turned away and went into her quarters to change.
Sab just layed there letting the door pummel him in the ribs. Open-shut, open-shut, open-shut, right in his middle. It was as if the ship was saying 'neener-neener, nah naaah!' He just groaned between hiccups.
"Relaxing"
Rakurai Stryker - Holodeck 4 Baya Malay on a foggy morning.
A single Edenian mediated on mountain. Half naked from the waist up, Rakurai sat alone, his eyes closed. Diverse battle scars mar his scaly, emerald green body. A pair of tarnished lockets, t'santari, were strung around his neck.
Far in the distance, was a trifecta city structure. A moving roadway connected a spaceport to two cities. The holoprogram recreated Scion, his hometown Camineet, its twin city, Parolit and Eppi Forest. He opened his eyes, picked up an African penny whistle and started playing it. It took him about two minutes to remember how to play the instrument again.
He was enjoying a slight breeze when he heard a beep. Since he was not wearing his combadge, the computer directed the comminication directly to the holodeck. "Stryker here. Go ahead."
"Are you hungry ?" said a female voice.
"Yes." he answered.
"Care to join me in Dot's Diner ?"
"I will be there in about five minutes."
Dot's Diner
The captain of the starship Pretoria certainly was different from other captains. Gruff and aggressive, he certainly creates a harsh commanding presence on his crew. His crew however noticed a completely different man when he is accompanied by her.
He drops all of his walls, this façade, all of his masks, and all of his defenses when he is around his wife, Alice. She was the only person in the galaxy who knew Rakurai, the real Rakurai, the hidden Rakurai, more intimately than anyone else ever had.
"And of all the nerve," she said angily. "... she says I am slowly becoming unglued."
He had that far away stare in his eyes again. Useful for tuning out boring conversations. The red haired woman punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Weren't you listening to anything I just said?" Alice chided him.
"Yes I did." Stryker answered, rubbing his pretend sore shoulder. "No, you are not crazy. And yes, I will order Councilor Isis to leave you alone."
"She's so bloody damn annoying and persistant. Why did to choose her in anyways ?"
"Because she is so bloody damn annoying and persistant. She gets the job done." he replied.
"What's this ?" Alice inquired, touching a bruise on his forearm.
He grimaced slightly, "I hurt myself on the holodeck this morning."
"You should have that looked at."
"What ? Me walk into sickbay ? I don't think so."
Alice chuckled. "Are you developing a sense of humour ?"
"On this ship, my dear, stranger things has happened."
"I seriously doubt that." Alice chuckled as Kiya Black Wolf walked by.
Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 11 2003, 01:47 PM
"Mischievous"
Ensign Fox Xanatos
The ship's new resident Chief Science officer just returned from a nightside shift. He was 5'5 and barely 23 years old.
Fox is a man of mixed heritage. His mother is a member of the Aishihik First Nations, Yukon, Canada, while his father, a former surfing champion from Hannatown, Jamaica.
He entered the quarters which he shared with the new bridge security officer, Ensign Alva. Fox smiled when he saw the young Betazoid woman lying on the couch, fast asleep. He walked to the replicator and selected mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey. He heard her mumbling something in her sleep.
Fox couldn't help but chuckle and put a dap of potatoes on her nose... wondering if that would wake her up. Suddenly Alva sat up and sneezed, mashed potatoes flying everywhere. "Wh.. what's going on?" she muttered sleepily. Fox put the dishes on the small living room table before falling to the floor laughing, unable to speak.
"What is so funny, Xanatos?" she sounded very angry. Her eyes spotted with foreign on her nose. She wiped it off and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him to his feet and into the air.
"My, my. Aren't we a little cranky this morning ?" he chuckled.
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Birds of Prey
Posted: Jun 12 2003, 09:06 PM
"Furious"
Ensign Alva Evieet Lalissa Rei
"Believe me I'm far from cranky." she screeched. "WHY DON'T YOU TRY PICKING UP YOUR STUFF INSTEAD OF BUGGING ME !"
"YOU ARE PSYCHO, LADY." Fox retaliated. She let him and he stormed out of their quarters.
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Posted: Jun 14 2003, 11:53 AM
"The time is zero five hundred hours.."
Michael O'Leary turned over and groaned.... as his eyes came into focus the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit his nostrils and he forced himself to sit up. as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed his coffee he went through his mental checklist for the day. Usually this consisted of the usual maintenance crew rotation for engineering and how the hell he was going to stop his hair from sticking up like a mad scientist!.
Today was different. Today there was only one item on his list. at zero seven thirty hours he was to be in holodeck one to take a scenario test. He'd never heard of it before but when he told the captain and XO that Starfleet command had send him a communique requiring him to take the test and he told them the name of it. The look in their eyes and the small smirk accross both their faces told him all he needed to know, This was going to be interesting of nothing else.
He arrived at the door to holodeck one where he was met by Captain Stryker.
"You ready Commander?"
"I cant be ready for a simulation i know nothing about but ill do my best."
The captain smiled and handed him a PADD.
"Enter the holodeck and read the padd. When your ready just tell the computer to begin simulation. And good luck.!"
Michael entered the holodeck which was at present in its normal state.
He activated the Padd and read
TO : Lieutenant Commander Michael O'Leary, CE USS Pretoria From : Admiral Nakamura, Commander Starfleet command
Lt. Cmdr O'Leary.
In this command level scenario you will be commanding the USS Baton Rouge. She is an advanced intrepid class ship. Its current assignment is patrol along the badlands near the Bajor wormhole.
That was all that the padd displayed. As he turned it off and activated the holodeck program the bridge of an intepid class ship replaced the yellow grid. The simulation was paused however. there was no sound no movement. Michael wandered over to the captains chair and sat down. Comfortable!, he thought as he sat down the computer unpaused the scenario and the bridge suddenly sprang to life.
"Helm current course?"
The young female ensign who couldn't be older than 19 replied, "Sir, we are currently heading out of the badlands at maximum impulse. ETA to the edge 15 minutes 30 seconds."
"Very good Ensign. Once we clear the badlands set a course for DS9 warp 3"
"Aye captain"
He tapped the communicator on his bridge seat. The almost inaudible sound of an open channel greeted him. "Engineering. Report."
"Engineering here sir. The warp core is fluctuating a bit but that expected with the plasma storms in this area. Id like prefer to try and run with the shields up to try and stop it but its not a real problem."
"Try putting up a level 6 containment field around the magnetic constrictors and reducing the power output of the core by 25 percent... that should keep it stable."
"Aye captain, I'll give it a go."
Just as he was trying to think of other things that could stabilize the power systems his tactical officer, a young half klingon said.
"Sir, I am reading a massive disturbance two million kilometers ahead."
"Is it a plasma storm?"
"negative sir. but i cant scan too far ahead. The disturbance has knocked out long range sensors."
"Helm set intercept course and slow to one half impulse."
A tingling went all the way down the back of Michael's spine. Something wasn't right.
"Tactical yellow alert shields up."
"Shields up captain but the interference is reducing their effectiveness to 37 percent."
"helm time to intercept"
"we should have visual in 20 seconds sir"
The seconds past by like hours. and as they approached the disturbance time seemed to slow down to a crawl. The ambient orange plasma of the badlands gave way to a dark grey sphere of a borg probe ship.
It seemed like slow motion as Michael hit the red alert button on his armrest.
"Helm reverses your course. Get us out of the badlands best possible speed. Comms send a message as soon as we can to DS9. Tell that that the Baton rouge has encountered a borg sphere in the badlands..."
Before he could finish the klingon yelled out.
"INCOMING"
"Helm evasive pattern omega 3"
The ship lurched as the inertial dampeners tried to keep up with the violent swerving motion. The green ball of Borg disruptor fire skipped on the shields causing minimum damage but the evasive maneuvers sent them straight into a plasma storm.
The Borg sphere was right behind them attempting to lock onto them with its tractor beam. Only the skill of his helm officer kept them out of trouble.
Plasma streaked by them on either side as they swerved around the storms.
"Tactical. Arm quantum torpedoes... FIRE"
The blue balls of death streaked towards the sphere impacting one after another almost completely obliterating it.
Michael was about to breath a sigh of relief when they nearly collided with two Borg cubes coming directly at them. HE didn't even have time to order the evasive pattern needed to dive underneath them. He just hung on to his chair.
This time they weren't so lucky a blast of disruptor fire impacted them square on the dorsal shielding. Completely bring the array out but being foiled by the ablative armor. The impact however sent them spiraling towards a nearby plasma string. At the last minute the ship swing around and continued on a straight course.
"Engineering I want all power to the shields. Pull it for weapons and life support if you have too but keep full power to the mauvering systems "
"captain??"
"Just do it!!"
"Aye sir"
The tactical officer was about to object at having all weapon systems powered down but he spoke up first.
"Look we cant out gun two fully armed Borg cubes but we can out maneuver them. If we can get the m to follow us which by the sound of the near misses I assume they are already doing them we should might be able to get then to run into the plasma streamers in that storm up ahead. Either way we need to get the message out that he Borg are in the area."
He looked at the young helm officer again. Her complexion had gone to a ghost white. She was scared. They all were.
"Helm... ensign McKnight. I know you can do this... just keep us out of the plasma streameres and on a general heading out of the badlands... push the engines if you have to."
The ensign resumed her tapings at the console and some color seemed to return to her face.
"Im not going to lie to you all. The chances of us making it away form two Borg cubes is slim but we need to get that message to Starfleet. Comms prepare all the probes we have and fill them with our position and situation. I want them fired off in random directions away form the Borg and the plasma streams."
"Aye sir."
The lights began to fluctuate as the shields drew more power.
"Time to badlands boundary?"
"30 seconds sir."
"Change heading to 345 mark 25."
"that will take us directly into a storm sir."
"DO it. At the last minute resume previous heading"
The helm ensign just nodded. She realized he was trying to lure them into the stream. But would it work for both cubes?
As they grew closer and closer to the stream the both bog ships converged on their position.
"NOW HELM"
The ship lurched up and to the right. The two gorg ships collided and spun straight into the stream. Wounding them to a point where 5 seconds later they exploded of their own accord.
The ship sped out of the badlands and the probes followed on a course for DS9 Before they could engage4 warp engines however 6 transwarp conduits opened up infront of them the probs passed but the ship was surrounded as 6 Borg cubes exited.
"Tactical analysis?"
"Sir. Those cubes are class 1 Borg tactical cubes"
Before Michael to utter a reply the familiar hail was broadcast
"WE ARE THE BORG LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND SURRENDER YOURSELVES YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"
Michael looked around him. The average age was only 24 and that was including him. He made a decision there and then. He wasn't going to let his crew be assimilated. His mission was done, Starfleet had been alerted. His only obligation now was to his crew. And he was dammed if he was going to let them be altered and assimilated..
"Computer. Activate auto destruct sequence. Authorization O'Leary Alpha one. 15 second countdown"
As the computer began to countdown he opened the ship-wide comm. and stood up.
"It's been a pleasure serving with you all!"
As the computer approached zero he saluted to his crew and ship and was moved to see the rest of the bridge crew doing the same...
"Three... two... one... "